http://www.daily-chronicle.com/articles/2009/11/24/67211399/index.xml
Created: Tuesday, November 24, 2009 12:02 a.m. CST
By JOHN PUTERBAUGH jputerbaugh@daily-chronicle.com
DeKalb citizens group wants 'clean sweep' of city hall
DeKALB – About a dozen DeKalb citizens gathered Monday evening to collectively call for a "clean sweep" of city government.
Armed with brooms, mops and a vacuum cleaner, members of DeKalb Citizens for Transparency recited chants and marched from First Street and Lincoln Highway to the DeKalb Municipal Building on Fourth Street ahead of the DeKalb City Council meeting.
"We would like open government," group spokeswoman Kay Shelton said. "We would like transparent government. We would like free, open competition for city contracts."
Specifically, the group expressed its discontent with a lack of transparency as it pertains to businesses of elected or appointed city officials getting city contracts for projects.
The DeKalb City Council voted 5-0 Monday on first reading of an ordinance that would give that body more power in authorizing spending when a fellow council member has financial interest in the contract. Aldermen Bertrand Simpson and Victor Wogen were absent from the meeting.
If approved when it is brought back for final reading Dec. 14, contracts in which an alderman is financially involved would require council approval, among other changes to how the city does business.
One suggestion that was supported by aldermen Monday is to include all city employees when it comes to financial ties to a city contract.
The overhaul in financial policy derived from one alderman’s work on public projects in 2008. Wogen, the 3rd Ward alderman, provided the lowest quote on six contracts with the city of DeKalb, winning the maintenance jobs. Because each project was less than $20,000 they didn't require city council action, according to state statute.
"When an alderman gets a contract and people don't know about it, citizens start to lose trust in elected officials," Shelton said. "Openness is the only way to get that trust back."
Members of DeKalb Citizens for Transparency attend city council meetings and get together on an as-needed basis to discuss relevant issues, said John Durek, a political science graduate student at Northern Illinois University who's been involved with the group for about two years.
"I'm interested in being an active citizen," Durek said. "It's not something we should just talk about; it's something we should do. The city was never going to discuss this issue of contracts for aldermen until our group brought it up."
Lynn Fazekas, former DeKalb mayoral candidate, said that she isn't simply against city officials doing private work with the city in all circumstances, but that she just wants more disclosure and transparency when it does happen. As it stands, she said, the problem is that independent local businesses might be discouraged from submitting bids on projects if they believe a city official's business will be awarded the contract because of favoritism.
• Daily Chronicle reporter Elena Grimm contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2009 Daily Chronicle. All rights reserved.
Created: Tuesday, November 24, 2009 12:02 a.m. CST
By JOHN PUTERBAUGH jputerbaugh@daily-chronicle.com
DeKalb citizens group wants 'clean sweep' of city hall
DeKALB – About a dozen DeKalb citizens gathered Monday evening to collectively call for a "clean sweep" of city government.
Armed with brooms, mops and a vacuum cleaner, members of DeKalb Citizens for Transparency recited chants and marched from First Street and Lincoln Highway to the DeKalb Municipal Building on Fourth Street ahead of the DeKalb City Council meeting.
"We would like open government," group spokeswoman Kay Shelton said. "We would like transparent government. We would like free, open competition for city contracts."
Specifically, the group expressed its discontent with a lack of transparency as it pertains to businesses of elected or appointed city officials getting city contracts for projects.
The DeKalb City Council voted 5-0 Monday on first reading of an ordinance that would give that body more power in authorizing spending when a fellow council member has financial interest in the contract. Aldermen Bertrand Simpson and Victor Wogen were absent from the meeting.
If approved when it is brought back for final reading Dec. 14, contracts in which an alderman is financially involved would require council approval, among other changes to how the city does business.
One suggestion that was supported by aldermen Monday is to include all city employees when it comes to financial ties to a city contract.
The overhaul in financial policy derived from one alderman’s work on public projects in 2008. Wogen, the 3rd Ward alderman, provided the lowest quote on six contracts with the city of DeKalb, winning the maintenance jobs. Because each project was less than $20,000 they didn't require city council action, according to state statute.
"When an alderman gets a contract and people don't know about it, citizens start to lose trust in elected officials," Shelton said. "Openness is the only way to get that trust back."
Members of DeKalb Citizens for Transparency attend city council meetings and get together on an as-needed basis to discuss relevant issues, said John Durek, a political science graduate student at Northern Illinois University who's been involved with the group for about two years.
"I'm interested in being an active citizen," Durek said. "It's not something we should just talk about; it's something we should do. The city was never going to discuss this issue of contracts for aldermen until our group brought it up."
Lynn Fazekas, former DeKalb mayoral candidate, said that she isn't simply against city officials doing private work with the city in all circumstances, but that she just wants more disclosure and transparency when it does happen. As it stands, she said, the problem is that independent local businesses might be discouraged from submitting bids on projects if they believe a city official's business will be awarded the contract because of favoritism.
• Daily Chronicle reporter Elena Grimm contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2009 Daily Chronicle. All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment